CapsLock as a keyboard layout switcher also acts like CapsLock

[Dmitry Maruschenko]

I have two keyboard layouts installed: English and Russian. I've configured my keyboard to switch between layouts with a CapsLock key using unity-control-center (All settings / Text Entry / Switch to next source using...).

So, when I am typing, the only way I can change the current layout using the CapsLock key is to pause typing, and then press the CapsLock. If I press the CapsLock while typing without significant pause (simultaneously with any other key), I get CapsLock mode being switched instead of another layout being activated.

Also, CapcLock mode gets activated on keyDown (letters become capital once I press the key), but gets deactivated on keyUp (letters remain capital until I release the key).

Expected result: keyboard layout gets changed once I press the CapsLock (not waiting for its release), and CapsLock mode switches only on Shift-CapsLock (as it worked in 12.04).

PS:
I managed to workaround this using gnome-tweak-tool.

I configured my keyboard using gnome-tweak-tool ("Typing / Switching to another layout") and set this field to "CapsLock", but the behaviour of the CapsLock remained the same. Then I went to unity-control-center / "Text entry" again and tried to set "CapsLock" as a hotkey. Its value changed from "CapsLock" to "Disabled" once I pressed the CapsLock in the "New accelerator..." prompt. After that layouts stopped switching at all.

Then I went to the "gnome-tweak-tool" again and changed the "Typing / CapsLock key behaviour" value from "Disabled" to "CapsLock is disabled" (sounds weird...), and then went again to the "unity-control-center / Text Entry / Switch to next source using...". I tried to set up a new accelerator, so I pressed Capslock on the prompt again and it changed from "Disabled" to "0xffffff" (and "Keyboard / Typing / Switch to next source" changed to 0xff accordingly).

That helped, now I can change layouts using CapsLock. Though I can't trigger Caps mode anymore, but I don't need it.

The only problem I experience now is that if I lock the screen when my current keyboard layout is Russian, I can't enter a password correctly, because CapsLock key does not change the layout, and the only way to change it on the lock screen is to use mouse to select English layout from dropdown menu of Keyboard Indicator at the top-right of the screen.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: unity-control-center 14.04.3+14.04.20140604-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-32.56-generic 3.13.11.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Jul 17 18:09:08 2014
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/unity-control-center
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-09-05 (314 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
SourcePackage: unity-control-center
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-12 (96 days ago)
usr_lib_unity-control-center:
 activity-log-manager 0.9.7-0ubuntu14
 deja-dup 30.0-0ubuntu4
 gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu56.1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Alexey (alexey-lelekin)]

Hey, Dmitry, thanks for a workaround!

[Misha Merkushin (bibendi)]

This workaround doesn't work for me on Ubuntu 18.04.1 Unity.